The invention falls within the field of powder-based additive manufacturing by fusing grains of this powder using a source of energy or of heat, such as a laser beam, a beam of electrons, or diodes, for example.
More specifically, the invention is targeted at facilitating access to additive manufacturing processes.
Currently, an increasing number of industrial sectors are becoming interested in additive manufacturing; mention may in particular be made of the aeronautical industry, the motor vehicle industry, the watchmaking industry, the nuclear industry, and the like. This is because additive manufacturing processes allow the manufacture of parts which cannot be produced, or else with difficulty, with conventional manufacturing methods, which are moulding and machining for metal parts or injection moulding for polymer-based materials.
Consequently, there exist, on the market, various manufacturers providing various additive manufacturing machines capable of meeting industrial requirements.
To date, research and development efforts have mainly concentrated on the productivity of the additive manufacturing machines for the purpose of reducing the operating cost of these machines and the cost price of the parts manufactured.
However, there exists a barrier with which industrialists wishing to use additive manufacturing are confronted today: the safety of additive manufacturing plants and more particularly the safety of the personnel required to work on additive manufacturing machines and in their immediate environment.
This is because additive manufacturing powders exhibit various dangers.
On the one hand, some additive manufacturing powders may contain chemical elements which are allergenic or even toxic. For example, some metallic additive manufacturing powders may contain chemical elements such as nickel or cobalt.
Subsequently, the melting of the powder grains releases fumes containing gases toxic to man.
Consequently, in order to overcome the abovementioned risks in a simple manner, additive manufacturing powders are generally stored and transported to the additive manufacturing machines in sealed containers, and the manufacturing chambers of the additive manufacturing machines are closed housings.
In addition to the abovementioned risks, some additive manufacturing powders exhibit the disadvantage of oxidizing on contact with the oxygen present in the atmosphere.
Consequently, in order to avoid such an oxidation, the manufacturing chambers of additive manufacturing machines are filled with an inert gas, such as nitrogen or argon.
This inerting of the additive manufacturing chambers may prove to be dangerous to the personnel located nearby. This is because, in the event of leakage, the inert gas will gradually replace the oxygen and bring about the asphyxiation of the personnel located nearby.
Consequently, it is an objective of the present invention to meet the abovementioned industrial requirements while guaranteeing an optimum safety level for the personnel required to operate on additive manufacturing machines and in their immediate environment.